New and Old
by smileypenguin53
Summary: Terezi Pyrope has been stuck on this meteor for far too long. Dave is no longer her boyfriend, her kismesis has vanished, her friends have been killed without warning, and she doesn't think things can get much worse. Maybe she just needs reassurance from an old friend. Rated T for some language and very mild suggestive things.


**Your name is TAYLOR, and you woke up this morning with a SUDDEN INSPIRATION to write about your favorite pair in Homestuck: Karkat and Terezi. This is your first time writing a FANFIC, so you ask your readers to please be gentle, as you are about AS SENSITIVE AND OVEREMOTIONAL AS THEY COME. In fact, writing this brought you to tears on several occasions. You also note that all characters and Homestuck belong to the majestic Andrew Hussie. Bluh bluh copyright bluh.**

**Please enjoy!**

* * *

Terezi Pyrope closed her eyes as the steaming hot water fell over her body. She let out a long sigh. This was the most relaxed she had felt in days. Her body ached from sleeping in a pile of horns. _Why do I still sleep in that shitty pile?_ She asked herself. The answer was one that she didn't like to admit to herself- it was where Gamzee always slept. She hated it, but it was true. Ever since her kismesis had disappeared, she felt as lonely as ever. _Stupid Makara_, she thought bitterly as tears began to swell in her eyes. _You know I had no one, and you left me._ She stood still in the shower a few moments longer before turning off the water and stepping out. Wrapping herself in her teal towel, she stood in front of the mirror and stared at her foggy reflection. "This isn't how it's supposed to be," she said aloud. She removed her towel to get dressed, when she heard the door slam open. She froze. _Shit,_ she thought, _I thought I locked that._ She didn't even have the chance to turn around before the sweet smell of cherry filled her nose. "Hi Karkat," she said calmly, her bare body facing away from her intruder.

Karkat felt red heat filling his cheeks. "Oh. Sorry I didn't know you were here." _Dammit_, he thought,_ she's fucking naked._ Terezi didn't reply. "Is something wrong?" he asked. "I'm nude," she replied flatly. Karkat's face flushed harder. "Right," he said quickly. "Er…sorry." He started to shut the door, but heard Terezi mutter, "Wait Karkat." He froze, completely bewildered. "But, you…" he stammered. Terezi sighed, slipping on her underwear and pants. "You've already seen me, dumbass."

Karkat tried not to watch, but he had always thought his friend was beautiful. He watched her light grey skin glisten from the droplets of water. He knew in the back of his mind that she could sense him watching her, _but she must not care_, he thought. He scanned her physique. She had matured over the years, but she was still pretty lanky. He thought about the time she had hugged him right after she had to kill her friend, Vriska. She was so soft, to his surprise. That was the only time he had seen her as serious as she was now, so he knew something had to be wrong. His head swarmed with angry thoughts of both Gamzee and Dave. _It must have been one of those assholes_, he thought furiously, _she's had her heart broken twice in a month_.

His thoughts were interrupted when he heard a small squeak come from the half-naked Terezi. Her back was still turned, and she now had on a bra, but Karkat saw that her shoulders were starting to tremble. She was crying. "Shit," he muttered. He slowly walked toward her, reaching his hand out to awkwardly pat her shoulder. Terezi spun around, hands covering her eyes, and before Karkat could open his mouth she was sobbing into his shoulder. Karkat stroked her shiny damp black hair until the sobbing subsided. When he thought she had stopped he said, "Do you want to talk about it?" For a moment Terezi didn't move, but finally she let go and looked right at him. Karkat gasped. "Terezi, y-your eyes!" Terezi's familiar wide bright red eyes stared into his yellow ones.

"But Aradia…"

"She changed them back," Terezi replied almost happily. "I asked her to." She let go of Karkat and took a few steps back. Her cheeks flushed blue-green. "I thought…it would make things better." She wiped the lingering tears from her eyes. "I thought it would make things go back to the way they were, for some stupid reason." Karkat nodded. He understood. They had all changed since they started the game, and Terezi's blindness was, in a weird way, a sense of security. "But it didn't make things better, did it?" She shook her head. "I don't think it will ever get better. We've all changed too much." Karkat struggled for the right words. "Er-_we_ haven't changed though." Terezi blinked at him, and for a minute he was sure she was going to start crying again. He bit his lip, and braced himself, but she only sighed. "Karkat there was nothing to change. There is no "we", and there never has been." She knew that was only partly true. She and Karkat had always had _something_, but it was too late for that now. Now, Karkat felt like crying. "That's not true. My feelings for you never changed, but I did." Terezi's blank eyes stared into Karkat's in a way that made him shudder. "What feelings?" His face grew hot again, and he thought he saw a hint of a smile on Terezi's face, but it quickly disappeared.

"Terezi, I'm a stubborn asshole." Terezi giggled and Karkat grinned. "Oh really?" she laughed sarcastically. _There she is_, he thought happily. "It's true. But this stubborn asshole is always here to listen to you. And it's not just because I'm your sworn leader," he added mockingly. "It's my job as your friend." Her eyes widened at him, and he continued. "There was always a "we". I always liked you a lot, but, you know, the stubborn asshole part of me liked to deny that. Even if our "we" was never red-" he stopped, embarrassed. "Er-I mean, um, what I'm trying to say is that I'm here for you. Always." He looked up at her hopefully, and she smiled a little. "Thank you, Karkles." Before Karkat could react to the old nickname, Terezi embraced him. He returned her hug. "We all need to stick together." She nodded. "And Terezi?" She let go of him. "Yeah?"

"Um, if you don't want to sleep in that pile of shitty horns anymore, you're welcome to stay with me." Terezi's chest and face blushed bright teal. Karkat blushed himself when he realized she still only had a bra on. "Karkat, I don't think I'm quite ready for…THAT," she said seriously. Karkat rushed to defend himself. "No! I just meant as friends…trying to be friendly here." Terezi lauged. "Hehe, I'm sure _this_ makes you feel real friendly, Karkles!" She pointed at her teal and red bra. Karkat buried his face in his hands. Terezi pulled her shirt on, giggling. Suddenly she was serious again, and grabbed Karkat's hands. "Maybe I'll take you up on that offer soon, but for now I think I'll sleep in my own room." She grinned toothily. "Let's not pursue our dear sweet matespritship just yet." Karkat smiled back awkwardly. _Matesprits, what?_ _Really? For jegus sakes, Karkat, get a hold of yourself_. "Well, do you want to do something now? You know, as not-yet-matesprits?"

"Sure Karkles," she lauged. Karkat took her hand and walked down to one of the main rooms, where the two drew together on the floor with Terezi's chalk. Karkat's was shitty, of course, but none of that really mattered now. Karkat had Terezi back, and she could sleep peacefully knowing she had a caring friend. And they were both the happiest they had been in months.


End file.
